JOHN PAHLAS

steel sculpture

“Art is the signature of civilizations” – Beverley Sills

My work currently revolves around creating animals and nature scenes out of discarded metal objects and salvaged industrial parts. I am fascinated by how humanity has impacted the
natural world and often find a great deal of catharsis through sculpting junk into beautiful forms. Much of my sculptural process involves searching for the right rusty scraps. From there, I dive into the studio with a welder and grinder and start creating! It is a great challenge to take that which our industrial society throws away and bring it back to life as a rusty fish or a hawk in flight over head.

I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.
Although I had already built up a great deal of discipline and work ethic with my
parents in their studio, college widened my artistic horizons and instilled a sense
of independence that I hadn’t been given the opportunity to have working alongside family.
I started doing private commissioned sculpture my Freshman year of college and have been
working full time sculpting since I graduated May of 2013.

I currently run a studio out of Mount Horeb with the love of my life, Heidi Clayton. She hosts
ceramic classes and pottery lessons and I make creative & heavy messes in the steel sculpting wing.
When I'm not in the studio, I am usually on the road, showing my work in various parts of the country
at art shows and cultural fairs. Together, our mission is to enrich the community through art and allow
all who are interested to engage in the creative process.

DEMONSTRATION: I will be welding a new sculpture from start to finish.

STUDIO ACCESS: The entrance to our studio is totally wheel chair accessible. There is a short sidewalk to the main
entrance and the bay door of the steel studio which connects with a sixty foot long drive way (low grade incline, very doable for elderly/handicapped).
Our artwork will be for sale in the main room where Heidi will be throwing pottery on the wheel.